So what is it with coffee? I am not a drinker. Repeat, I do not drink coffee. I don't know how this happened. Everyone I know likes to drink coffee. I've been on rides that stopped almost immediately so we can suck down coffee. To fit in once, I ordered a cup of tea (crowd goes gasp) so I would look the part. I promptly spilled that cup of hot tea all over my friend, Bill Carslay. I don't think he noticed as he was injecting his coffee at the time. Pure coffee drinkers are great and they are very open with spilling information as I pump them full of questions. It's vogue to hate Starbucks, I've discovered. Some will follow that up with, "well if I can't find anything else, I'll get one from them, but only when I can't find something else." Interesting as I see a ton of them about. I once read an article on Starbucks. They announced that they were opening a Starbucks kiosk in the bathroom of a Starbucks. Now that is market penetration. Of course that article was written up in The Onion so I'm assuming they were pulling my leg, but I can't be sure. Coffee junkies may think this is a good idea. People seem to think Pete's is pretty good and that 7-11 and McDonalds is really bad. However, they will still get coffee in either of these places. Workplace coffee ranks down low, 7-11 and McDonald's territory. I have a coffee pot at my cabin in Truckee. I don't know how to work it, but my guests always do. They know to look in the freezer for the grounds and in various cabinettes for the filters. Most mumble something during the process such as, "I don't have this kind of machine but I can make it work, I think." And presto, gurgling, bubbling, aroma, etc. It's kind of embarrassing when customers come to the rockpile and I have to fix them a cup. I have to find a mug, hope that there is some in the pot, figure out how they take it, etc. Most of the time I take them with me into the kitchen, fumble for a nanosecond before they shove me aside and get to work. They always move fluidly as if they've been making coffee in that kitchen for years. They seemlessly reach for the creamer and know exactly where the sugar is. As we walk out, they grab a swizzle stick I didn't even know we had. I guess when you drink coffee, you're a highly evolved species. I find it fascinating. Just something I've observed over the years. I'm sure some of you have the jitters now just thinking about your next cup. Go grab one, I'll wait.

Johnny GoFast